‘Sandwich carers’ more likely to suffer depression

Those looking after both children and elderly parents feel greater pressures and experience poorer mental health than the general population.

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More than one in four people caring for their own children as well as elderly relatives are suffering from depression or anxiety, new data suggests.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the twin responsibilities of looking after children and sick, disabled or elderly relatives leaves many people struggling financially and leads to lower levels of satisfaction with life.

Our analysis published today shows that 'sandwich carers' are more likely to report symptoms of mental ill-health – such as anxiety or depression – than the general population. Read the full report https://t.co/d0FZwX8nNEpic.twitter.com/MYlQDMEYCG

Some 27% of “sandwich carers” – who are most often women – suffer mental ill-health such as depression or anxiety compared with 22% of the general population, the data shows.

This figure rises to one in three (33%) of those providing 20 hours or more of care per week, compared with 23% of those who provide less than five hours of care per week.

People providing many hours of adult care report lower levels of life and health satisfaction, compared with the general population. In contrast, those providing fewer hours of adult care report higher levels of well-being https://t.co/re6eRhU11Ppic.twitter.com/75i1GZFP3M

Hugh Stickland, head of strategy and engagement at the ONS, said: “With an increasing ageing population and people deciding to have children at an older age, more people across the UK may soon find that they are part of a new ‘sandwich generation’.

“This affects more women than men, with women more likely to feel restricted in how much they can work alongside looking after older, sick or disabled relatives and children.

“The well-being of sandwich carers is varied, with parents who spend less than five hours a week looking after older, sick or disabled relatives seeing slightly higher health and life satisfaction compared with the general population.

“However, those who spend more time caring show lower levels of health and life satisfaction, and are more likely to experience symptoms of depression or anxiety.”

The data is taken from the UK Household Longitudinal Study of 34,000 members of the public from 2016 to 2017.

Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said sandwich carers were often “time-poor and stressed”.

She added: “With the social care system under extreme pressure, additional stress is being placed on families who are trying to juggle children, work and older relatives.

“It is vital that the Government provides ambitious proposals for the funding and delivery of adult social care in the upcoming Green Paper – proposals that better support older and disabled people, giving the sandwich generation the ability to better manage work and caring responsibilities.”